The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1887-08-27
DESTRUCTIVE INSECTS.
An Able Article by Prof Cook on Plai
Lice and Preventivcs.

Lice and Prevcntivcs.
Bark lice have been very destructive
to many of our deciduous trees during
the past few years, especially to maple,
Eastwood. hickory, ash and tulip.
From June till fall the lice are seen
upon the under side of the leaves. from
which they suck the sap and thus
greatly injure the trees. In the fall,
as the leaves begin to dry up, previous
to their falling to the ground, the small
scale-like lice leave them and fasten on
the tender twigs, where they continue
to imbibe the sap and devitalize tho
tree. The succeeding spring, still adj
herring to the twigs, they sip deep
draughts. grow fast, and by the last
of May appear as large brown scabs,
under which will be found hundreds Of
small yellow or whitish eggs. One
species secretes large amount Of cotton
like material under the scale in which
the eggs are placed. and a very safe
indus it is. These eggs hatch in June,
and the small yellow lice crawl on to
the leaves and repeat their round of
growth and mischief. AS we see from
the above, these scale lice increase very
fast and were they not held in check
would soon despoil much of our most
highly priced vegetation. Happily
many insect parasites, many of which
are so small that they can only be
studied by aid of the microscope, prey
upon the scale lice.
Three years ago it looked as if we
should lose many of our finest shade
trees in New York, Ohio, Michigan and
other States, SO abundant and destruct-
i've were these scale lice. Last year
and this find it hard to find specimens
for class and laboratory use, such has
been the faithful work of these little
parasitic friends. In case the parasitic
enemies do not overcome the lice,
have found that we still can fight these
scale lice successfully by use of the
kerosene and soap mixture. I would
put quart of soft soap with one pint
of kerosene oil and gallon of water,
then churn IL violently till it mixes per-
manently, then further dilute till the
kerosene forms one-ffteenth of the
whole compound. If desired, two
ounces of whale oil soap may replace
the soft soap. This is to be applied by
use of force pump just us the young
lice hatch in June. The liquid should
be dashed on so violently as to reach
each little louse. l also found that we
could at no very great cost wash the
scale off the limbs by use of the same
liquid in early spring, which might be
warranted in case of few small favor
lite trees. This is the best way to rid
such house plants as ivy and oleander
of scale lice. In this case we should
use strong soapsuds.
A popularity of these scale lice is
their secretion of nectar which, in case
the flowers secrete no nectar, is eager
ly appropriated by bees. This, how
ever, is unwholesome and unfit for
human food, and I presume not
very desirable for the bees. A few
years since this was serious annoy
ance to bee-keepers in many of our
Northern States. Think have learned
why the lice receive benefit from the
expensive habit. 1 found, two years
ago, that several birds, especially the
Baltimore oriole and song and field
sparrows. were ridding fine Eastwood
tree of these scale lice very rapidly.
Soon the fruit blossoms faded, and the
bees commenced to gather the nectar
from these lice. We saw no more OF
the birds as long as the bees were pres
ent. Soon the raspberry blossoms
opened, when .he bees left the linden
tree and the birds returned to feed
upon the lice. This tree was just at
our front door and was easily observed.
We have long known that plants Sc
crete nectar to attract bees, etc., for
the good of the plants. We now see
that the same is true of plant and scale
lice. They wish to call body-guard
of ants and bees to keep birds and
other enemies at bay.---Pr2f A. j.
Cook, in N. Y. Tribune.
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